In Virtual Reality News
May 4, 2023 – Sandbox VR, a provider of location-based virtual reality (LBVR) gaming, has announced its latest experience created by its in-house AAA gaming studio. ‘Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire’ is the company’s latest immersive adventure, directed by Michael Hampden, former lead designer on the Assassin’s Creed franchise, and featuring team members who have worked on hits like Far Cry 6, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher franchise, and Battlefield 2142.
Sandbox VR stated that Dragonfire was created to take full advantage of the bleeding edge VR technology that the company has developed over the years, in order to provide players with the ultimate fully-immersive virtual reality experience.
“With each experience we create, our goal is to push ourselves to invent new ways to immerse players in virtual worlds,” said Steve Zhao, CEO of Sandbox VR. “Dragonfire is the first Sandbox VR experience to feature branching storylines, meaning that guests can play the experience multiple times and have an entirely new adventure. This ups the stakes for players and we hope they’ll return again and again.”
In Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire, players form part of a band of adventurers who face off against a variety of enemies using swords, axes, bows, and magic. Players travel through a magical castle filled with intriguing characters and mysteries, and explore areas like a ruined fortress, an underground river, a haunted tomb, and the dragon’s tower, all while proving their worthiness as Seekers of the Shard.
“It’s a unique challenge developing a fantasy IP for location based VR. There’s a reason why there isn’t anything like Dragonfire available out there, because so many features have to be designed from the ground up,” commented Michael Hampden, VP of Content and Creative Director of Sandbox VR. “Melee Combat, magic weapons and spells, unlockable items, and choosing where to go next are just a few of the new features we have added to make this perhaps the deepest and most replayable location based VR experience yet.”
Sandbox VR has also added a feature that means players can request a version of the game that removes graphic violence, making it friendly for players of all ages.
Sandbox VR now operates in over 35 global locations, and the company noted that it is expanding rapidly. With a dozen locations launched in the last twelve months, each 5,000+ sq ft with at least 4 holodecks in which guests experience the virtual worlds, Sandbox VR claims to be the fastest growing location-based VR startup in the world, selling nearly 100k tickets every month, according to the company.
Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire will be followed by the hotly anticipated Sandbox VR x Squid Game virtual reality experience, which was announced in February and is set to open late 2023. In it, players will be transported to iconic locations from the hit Neftlix show, where they will become contestants in a variety of challenges inspired by the Squid Game series and compete against each other to be the last one standing.
Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire brings the total number of exclusive immersive experiences that guests can choose from at Sandbox VR to seven. Other experiences include:
Deadwood Valley – A squad-based zombie shooter set in a town overrun by… zombies.
Deadwood Mansion – A zombie survival game where teams work to protect Deadwood Mansion from a horde of, you guessed it, zombies.
Curse of Davy Jones – Players battle on the high seas against a variety of supernatural creatures and hunt for the long-lost treasure of Davy Jones.
Amber Sky 2088 – A futuristic sci-fi shooter set on a space elevator with androids and aliens.
Star Trek: Discovery – Built in partnership with CBS Interactive, Star Trek. Players can become a Starfleet Officer and beam down with their friends to explore alien worlds.
UFL: Unbound Fighting League – A futuristic arena gladiator duel where players compete against their friends.
Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire will be rolling out to Sandbox VR locations globally starting June 9. For more information on Sandbox VR and its location-based virtual reality experiences, please visit the company’s website.
Image / video credit: Sandbox VR
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About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.